Heating and cooling system for beds



Feb. 12,1952 w. R. TOLEN HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM FOR BEDS 2 SHEET S--SHEET 1 Filed March 31, 1947 R m N E M W llara 5. 75km ATITU RN EYS Feb. 12, 1952 w. R. TOLEN 2,585,517

HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM FOR BEDS Filed March 31, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ATTD R N EYB INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM FOR BEDS WillardR.- Tolen, Riverside, Calif.

Application March '31, 1947,.Serial No. 738,484

1 Claim. (01. 4-160) This invention relates to a heating and cooling system for nursery and hospital beds.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a temperature control system for heating hospital or nursery beds wherein the temperature can be predetermined and automatically regulated and wherein this control system is provided in a water supply adapted to be extended through a mattress of a bed and wherein there is sufficient length to the hose couplings connecting the mattress or bed with the supply and the outlet pipe with the drain so as to permit the bed to be moved about to make up the same and to handle the patient.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a combined heating and cooling system for hospital and nursery beds wherein fullest ventilation of the heated or cooled air can be extended through the mattress and over the patient lying thereon.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a bed employing the heating and cooling system of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the head end of a bed to which the hot and cold water pipes are attached and of the thermostatic controlled mixing valve thereon.

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the mattress having the container therein through which the water for heating or cooling the mattress is extended, and taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view, in elevation, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary and enlarged crosssectional view taken through one of the telescoping sleeve arrangements about which a bed spring is extended and through which air blown by a fan is passed.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the inner sleeve arrangement of the spring in full.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of the spring arrangement located directly beneath the liquid containing device within the mattress.

Referring now to the figures, It represents the head end of the bed and II represents the foot of the bed. Between the head end and the foot there is supported a mattress l2 in which there is a liquid containing device 13 through which hot or cold Water may be extended. This water containing device is preferably made of flexible material such as rubber and has both longitudinal and transversely extending portions. A layer of material is extended over the device and the device will have substantially the same cushioning as mattress portions l5 formed of the usual mattress material.

On the head end of the bed is a board [6 for supporting a pipe fitting l! on the upper end of which is a thermostatic control device l8 through which hot and cold water is extended by way of valve controlled fittings l9 and 20. These fittings i9 and 20 are respectively connected by hose connections 2| and 22 with pipe lines 23 and 24 respectively. The thermostatic mixing device 18 can be set to the desired temperature and only water having that temperature will be extended through the fitting H. The fitting Ii is connected with the water containing device l3 as indicated at 25 so that water will be extended therein. The opposite end of the device l3 has a drain outlet 26 which is connected by a hose 21 to a drain pipe 28 in the floor. A valve 29 may be provided in the outlet fitting 26. Water of predetermined temperature will accordingly be passed through the water containing device l3. A thermometer 3| may be mounted on the board l6 so that one can readily observe the temperature of the water passing through the device I3. This thermometer is connected by a tube 32 with the fitting l1.

Beneath the mattress I2 is an air compartment 34 having an electric fan 35 controlled by a switch 35 of the board [6. Springs 36' extend vertically within the mattress and are mounted on telescoping sleeves 31 and 38 which are opened to the compartment 34 so that air stirred up by the fan 35 will be extended through the sleeve Fabric 39 extends over the top of the sleeves of sufiicient thickness to render the top ends of the sleeves 31 sufiiciently comfortable but not such that air will not be extended through the same. Beneath the liquid supporting device 13 there are disposed short springs 4| as viewed in Fig. 7. There is suflicient mattress material as indicated at 42 over the liquid containing device so that the patent will not at any time be burned from direct contact with the device It. Inasmuch as the device 13 may rest upon a heat conducting plate 43, the same can be cooled as a result of the fan 35 being put into operation to cause the circulation of air beneath it and to take from the same heat which will in turn be delivered upwardly through the sleeves iii-38.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a bed, the combination of a head portion. a foot portion, a mattress supported by said portions, a heat conducting plate within said mattress, a flexible leak-proof container embedded within said mattress and extending longitudinally and transversely of the same and supported upon said heat conducting plate, an inlet pipe extending from one end of said container, hot and cold water conduits adapted to be connected to a source of hot and cold water, respectively, a thermostatic mixing device attached to said conduits and said inlet pipe, a drain outlet in said container, an air compartment coextensive with said mattress and underneath the same,

said air compartment being in heat-receiving relationship with said fluid-tight container, tele- 4 scoping tubular sleeves extending through said mattress and said heat conducting plate into communication with said air compartment whereby air from said compartment may flow through said sleeves, and an electric fan in said air compartment forcing air therefrom through said sleeves.

WILLARD R. TOLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,392,268 Maruda Sept. 27, 1921 1,817,277 Uhlig Aug. 4, 1931 2,059,226 Gates Nov. 3, 1936 2,110,952 Glenn Mar. 15, 1938 2,378,821 Bagnall June 19, 1945 2,400,790 Tolen May 21, 1946 

